Broken crayons still colour

I grew up hearing stories about the heavenly food at Peshawar’s Namak Mandi, so when I first visited the place back in 2017, I couldn’t hold my excitement.

Namak Mandi had a serene aura about it, from that smell worth-swooning-over, and sputtering of lamb-karahis along the roadside, to the vip attic-seating in classic Pukhtoon style, and my ever-so-hospitable Peshawari hosts, the experience was well above anything I had heard about it. I knew one thing for sure, I was going to tell stories of the food I had there.

Namak Mandi, Peshawar — December 2018

I enjoyed every moment of my stay, but on the way back, my fresh-off-the-boat self witnessed something I’d continue noticing over the rest of my eat-outs at Namak Mandi. I saw faces, reflecting severe pangs of hunger, roaming about, asking visitors for the leftover food, some even asking them to share the meal. The view was so drastic, it left a mark in my subconscious. A part of me wanted to share the privilege of eating at such a remarkable place with them, but I could hardly afford one for myself at that point.

“If you can’t feed hundred people, then feed just one.“ — Mother Teresa

I got engrossed in my university life to a point where I couldn’t spare time for any kind of additional community work. Three years down the line, when I was asked to identify a problem for Amal Academy’s Mega Project, I knew I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to start working on the problem.

I discussed the issue with my Amal Circle, convinced them about the gravity of the problem, and while the solution wasn’t the most innovative one, I was very fortunate to have their support.

I came across an India-based social enterprise during my Market Research, The Robin Hood Army, and realised that our mission aligns with theirs. They have summed up the problem brilliantly:

The challenge is not a lack of food — it is making food consistently available to everyone who needs it.

At FUSIONS, we are going to get surplus food from restaurants and wedding halls, repackage them, and offer to the underprivileged for a very low price (to cover the cost of packaging). Because after all, broken crayons still colour.